Refrigerator breaker strip assembly



Dec. 15, 1953 G. c. HARBISON REFRIGERATOR BREAKER STRIP ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 20, 1950 y Hwy 9 m j J 6 Z A u w F 5 3W3 IH M NU '11.- w h 0/ f N I, z m 1:, A Z My a 50 2 3 23 neon,

?atentecl Dec. 15, 1953 REFRIGERATOR BREAKER STRIP ASSEMBLY George C. Harbison, Erie, Pa., assignor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York App ic n S p e ber 20. 19.5.0, Serial Ne- 185.723

1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to refrigerators and the like and more particularly to breaker strip assemblies for refrigerators.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved construction and assembly of breaker strips associated with spaced wall refrigerators and the like.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claim annexed to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the objects of my invention a breaker strip assembly including top, bottom and two side breaker strips is provided around the perimeter of an inner wall of a spaced wall refrigerator. At the abutting edges one of the breaker strips is shaped to provide an outwardly facing recess and the abutting breaker strip is shaped to provide an inwardly extending tongue which is received within the recess to interlock the breaker strips into the final assembly. To conceal the joint between the breaker strips the edges of the breaker strips at the joint are chamfered and a plurality of parallel grooves or depressions are formed in at least some of the breaker strips adjacent and parallel to the joint line.

While the breaker strip assembly of my invention is applicable for closing the opening between the inner and outer walls of any spaced wall structure, for example, refrigerator cabinets and the like, for purposes of illustration I have shown my invention applied specifically to a spaced wall refrigerator door. For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front elevation view, partly broken away, of a refrigerator door including an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional View taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing there is shown a refrigerator door I which includes an outer metal wall 2 and a spaced inner metal wall 3. Corner pieces 6 are welded to a flange 5 of the outer wall 2 at each of the four corners of the door. The inner wall 3 is mounted in spaced relationship on the outer wall 2 by supporting elements '6. The elements 6 are bolted to the corner pieces i, as indicated at l, and are welded or otherwise suitably secured to the corners of the inner wall 3. Alternatively elements 5 could be formed integral with the inner wall 3.

In Order to close the space 8 between the outer wall 2 and the inner wall 3 the breaker strip assembly 9 is provided. This breaker strip assembly extends completely around the perimeter of the inner wall 3. A gasket Iii is secured to the outer wall 2 by a retainer I [which is assembled on an inwardly extending flange I2 of the outer wall by screws, one of which is shown at IE, or other suitable fastening devices. The gasket iii includes a cabinet-engaging portion l4 and this portion M is arranged to overlap the outer edge l5 of the breaker strip assembly. To provide for mounting the breaker strip assembly on the inner wall 3 this wall is formed with a plurality of spaced openings 16 throughout the perimeter thereof. The breaker strips are molded with a plurality of similarly spaced integral studs I! which in the assembled position of the breaker strips are received within corresponding openings 36. Fastening elements, which may be any of the conventional locking stamped metal fasteners, are then forced over the ends of the studs to hold the breaker strips in position.

The breaker strip assembly 9 includes one pair of identical breaker strips [9 and 26 along the top and bottom respectively of the inner wall 3, and a second pair of identical breaker strips 2| and 22 which extend along opposite edges of the wall 3. The breaker strips 2! and 22 are formed at each end with a return bent portion 23 to provide a forwardly opening recess 2%. The top and bottom breaker strips I9 and 2a are formed along the edges 25 which lie adjacent the side breaker strips 2! and 22 to provide an inwardly extending tongue 26. The tongues :26 are received snugly within the corresponding recesses 25 to provide an interlocking assembly between the top and bottom and the side breaker strips. This interlocking arrangement eliminates the necessity for metal clips or trim strips at the joint between the breaker strip sections. Be-

, cause of the snug fit between the tongues and the recesses only a small joint is visible at the intersection of the breaker strips. In order to further minimize the effect of this joint the top and side breaker strips are chamfered at adjacent edges, as indicated at 21 and 28 respectively in Fig. 3. The adjacent edges of the bottom and side breaker strips are similarly chamfered. In addition a plurality of parallel grooves or depressions 2d are provided in the side breaker strips 2! and 22 near each end thereof. These grooves 29 are equally spaced from each other and also from the groove 30 formed by the chamfered adjacent edges of the side strips and the top and bottom strips. And, as shown in the diagram, these grooves 29 are preferably of substantially the same size and depth as the groove 30 so that they present practically the same appearance as groove 30. Further the grooves 29 are arranged parallel to the corresponding groove 30 at each of the joints between the side breaker strips and the top and bottom breaker strips. This then results in an attractive design which still further disguises the joint between the breaker strips.

The arrangement described above provides a simple interlocking assembly of the four breaker strips and eliminates the need for trim strips at the junction of the individual breaker strips. It further permits the preassembling of the breaker strips on the inner wall so that the combined inner wall and breaker strip assembly may be mounted as a unit on the outer wall of the door by the bolts 7. Where such preassembly is employed openings 3| are provided in the top and bottom breaker strips 59 and 20 for access to the bolts 7. These openings are covered by plugs 32.

While I have shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention I do not desire my invention to be limited to the particular construction shown and described and I intend by the appended claim to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A refrigerator structure or the like comprising an outer Wall, an inner wall spaced from said outer wall and supported thereon, a breaker strip assembly extending around the perimeter of said inner wall for closing the space between said walls, said assembly including a pair of horizontal breaker strips extending along the top and bottom of said inner wall, said assembly further including a pair of vertical breaker strips extending along the sides of said inner wall, and means for securing said breaker strips to said inner wall, each breaker strip of one of said pairs being shaped to include a return bent flange at each end providing an outwardly facing recess, each breaker strip of the other of said pairs being shaped to provide an inwardly extending tongue at each end, said tongues being received within corresponding recesses for interlocking said breaker strips, each of the abutting edges of said breaker strips being chamfered to provide grooves, at least one of said pairs of breaker strips including a plurality of grooves therein adjacent the ends thereof and parallel to corresponding ones of said first mentioned grooves.

GEORGE C. HAR'BISON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 691,434 Barnett Jan. 21, 1902 818,439 Heindorf Apr. 24, 1906 1,810,287 Mahon et al June 16, 1931 2,264,536 Kuenzli Dec. 2, 1941 2,309,001 Nave et al. Jan. 19, 1943 2,323,467 La Casse Aug. 31, 1943 2,329,752 Goulooze Sept. 21, 1943 2,386,387 Drake Oct. 9, 1945 

